His Faithful Dog, Max
by Dara Tavar
Summary: After a night of terrorizing the Whos down in Whoville, the Grinch starts gleefully back to his home, but finds himself distracted by something in the street. How can he pass up a puppy without a home? Especially when the fear and pain in its big brown eyes are the same feelings he's been plagued with... A lonely Who finds a friend, the heart he doesn't want opening to a poor dog


**It's that time of year again! :D Christmas is almost upon us, and while getting into the "Christmas Spirit" I have (of course) been watching the Grinch-as it is my favorite Christmas movie and one of my all-time favorites anyways. In the past week alone, I've probably watched it at least three or four times-on top of it being my favorite, it's also my nieces favorite. :)  
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**So this is my second Grinch story, the other is called "Soon." This will be a one-shot (just in case I forget to check that it's complete), like the other-though I've been considering not continuing with "Soon," but writing a story to sort of go with it that will be more about the Grinch ("Soon" sort of focuses on Martha May, for those of whom haven't read it).  
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**Alright, I'll just wish you all a Merry Christmas (since you may be reading this closer to Christmas), and now I'll shut it. :D Enjoy!  
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**DT  
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**His**** Faithful Dog, Max**

The Grinch snarled as he slipped through the streets. Another night well spent, terrorizing the residents of Whoville by his normal methods and shenanigans. He'd made prank phone calls, screwed with the mail system and personally made Augustus' life miserable—his favorite past time.

He'd been unable to help himself when he'd seen Martha May sitting there, enjoying a candle-lit dinner with that annoying mayor, his creepy little lackey playing music and singing for them. It had caused jealousy to rear its ugly head inside him; even though he knew Martha May wasn't his. He just couldn't help it, when it came to her he couldn't control himself.

He sneered at the thought, hating that it was true. She was his one weakness, but there seemed to be nothing that he could do about it. It didn't matter how much he forced his heart to shrink, how mean he was to her, or how many times he reminded himself that she was with Augustus—he still couldn't help how he felt about her.

He glanced around the village and frowned. "I don't know why I come down here," he muttered to himself, knowing even as he said the words that it was all a lie. He knew exactly why he came down to the village, why he disguised himself and wandered through the crowds for hours. He did it because, even if he wouldn't admit it out loud, he was lonely up on the mountain by himself.

He missed being surrounded by people, seeing the Whos all the time. He missed having someone to talk to, someone who would be there for him.

While he'd lived among them, he'd been different, but he'd also had people who cared for him. The two ladies who'd raised him were one example. They'd annoyed him most of the time, fussing over him and always asking him questions as they'd rushed about, but they'd only done it out of love for him. And while he'd claimed to hate it, he knew that he also wanted a piece of that back.

And then there'd been Martha May, always so lovely… She'd been nice to the boy everyone had loved to pick on. She'd smiled at him, and had been kind to him even when everyone else had treated him badly. She'd made his school years bearable and even enjoyable.

He shoved the old memories away, unwilling to let them take over him once more and send him into that black hole he'd lived in for the last several years. Only when he returned to Whoville and walked around for a few hours, amidst his old mates and everyone that he used to know, was he able to leave that dark abyss where his sole seemed to have made permanent home. But then he tortured them and left—as he was about to do now.

He stopped suddenly, freezing in his tracks when he heard a soft rustling noise off to his side.

Turning to look where the sound had come from, he noticed an upturned box off to the side of the street. Frowning, he slowly edged forward and nudged one corner with his toe, quickly stepping back again when frightened whimpering came from beneath the dreadful looking thing.

Turning so he was bent over at the waist, his head held upside down, he read the words that were scrawled sloppily on one side. _Free Puppies. Please Take._

He looked around, but saw no one there. By the looks of the box, it had been there for quite some time. It was ripped in places, with wet spots from rain and other things possibly.

Out of one of the holes in the box, a big brown eye looked out at him sadly, fear shining deep in its depths…and it tugged at the heart he tried not to have. There was just something there, pain and loneliness, that resonated deep within him. He knew those feelings, because those feelings had been his constant companion.

Kneeling down before the box, he gently reached out to slowly lift up the box. The sight before him was one of the most pitiful he thought he'd ever seen. A tiny little puppy crouched down on the ground, its small body shaking uncontrollably and its tail tucked between its legs. It kept its head down and stared up at him as if uncertain when he would do.

The Grinch let out a sigh, staring down at the thing, and after the breath had left his lungs that puppy lifted its head a little. As if it could sense that they were going through the same thing, that they'd both been left alone and to fend for themselves, the little thing slowly edged toward him.

A tiny smile curled his lips as the puppy gently touched its nose to his hand, its tongue slipping out to lick his fingers in its way of saying hello. It edged a little closer, snuggling up against him. It's body still shook though, so the Grinch gathered the small thing up in his arms and wrapped it up in his cloak.

"Now, now, little thing," he began in a gentle voice, moving to the shoot up the mountain that would lead him to his home. "I'll take care of you, and there will be no more sitting on the street in a beat up box, in the rain and the cold, while everyone walks by you and just leaves you there. No more watching them pass by and spending your nights alone."

The puppy began breathing slow and deep, its eyes closed as it huddled deep into the cloak the Grinch had wrapped around it. It still shook, from cold or hunger the Grinch didn't know for sure, but he was certain that it wouldn't last long. Soon the puppy would be in a happy home with someone who loved it.

The Grinch came up short, halting even as he'd reached out to lift the top of the shoot. Loved it? What was he thinking? He couldn't come to _love_ something, not really. It would destroy everything that he'd worked so hard for, everything that he'd spent the past years working towards.

But as he looked down at the puppy still sleeping in his arms, he knew he wouldn't just be able to leave it behind. What if no one took it in? What if it stayed out on the streets, had nothing to eat and was miserable for the rest of its life?—however long that might be if he just left it to fend for itself.

He couldn't do it, no matter how evil he claimed he was, he wouldn't be able to leave the poor little thing out there by itself.

He growled at his own caring, his inability to walk away, before reaching out for the lid to the shoot again.

"First off, we need to give you a name," he said, glancing down at puppy. "What to name you, what to name you…"

He swung his legs inside and held the puppy close. "Time to go, little guy," he muttered. Hitting the side, he let the top drop down as he was sucked in, calling out as the puppy jumped to frightened life and whined, burrowing into his cloak.

He laughed as they were finally spit out, falling into the dump.

"What about Max? That a good name?" he asked with a smile before realizing what he was doing. Forcing a glare, he got to his feet, grabbed a bag of garbage and started for the door to his cave. "What am I asking you for? Max is fine and you're going to like it no matter what…Max."

He trudged up the hill and stopped before the door, dropping the bag and pulling the huge metal door wide before going inside with his dinner. "I'll get us some grub and then its time for bed," he growled as he kicked the door shut and turned the light on. He glanced around for a moment before his eyes landed on a pile of old wood sitting along the far wall. Looking down at Max, he gave a quick nod. "Dinner, make you a dog house, then bed."

Sitting Max down on the ground, he started off, glancing over his shoulder after a moment when he heard the sound of the puppy's nails on the floor, following behind him. The little brown colored thing was hurrying after him, its tail wagging and its tongue hanging from its mouth happily.

He barely caught himself before the smile crossed his face, turning away and starting into the kitchen area.

The Grinch was roused from his sleep by what sounded like crying. "Huh? What's going on?" he muttered in a tired voice, lifting his head as he looked around with half shut eyes. It was dark and he couldn't tell what was going on, his mind still clouded with sleep and a dream still fresh in his head.

When the sound suddenly came again, quite clearly whimpering, he came awake quickly. Sitting up, he looked around until the sound came again and he became aware of where it was coming from. Leaning over, he looked down to see Max sitting on the floor, staring up at him with those big brown eyes and looking almost as frightened now as he had months before when the Grinch had found him on the side of the street.

"Oh, no," the Grinch quickly began, shaking his head. "I know that look. It's not happening. Don't even think about it." He pointed back in the direction of Max's dog house. "You just march right beck over there and get your butt in bed. I'm not giving in this time. Not again."

Max whimpered again and the Grinch could have sworn that his lower lip even quivered. He groaned and dropped back on the bed, unable to believe himself. Why was it he never seemed to be able to say no to the dog that had come to be his only companion?

Sighing when Max let out a woeful sound, he lifted himself up on his elbows again. Looking down at the dog, he motioned to the dog. "Alright, come on," he muttered, hating himself for giving in yet again. The hardened Who, evil incarnate…couldn't even say no to a dog with big brown eyes. Who would have ever believed it?

Max gave a happy yelp and jumped up onto the bed. He moved closer, slipping under the covers and snuggling up against the Grinch's side in much the same way that he'd done on that fateful day when the furry green Who had found him.

"What did I tell you?" the Grinch snapped harshly, glaring down at Max. "I don't cuddle."

Max turned those brown eyes on him, letting out a soft whimper, and the Grinch couldn't help himself. Letting out an angry sound, he dropped down onto the bed and allowed the dog to huddle close to him happily.

"But this is the absolute last time, Max," he said as seriously as he could, though he knew very well that he would give in if Max gave him those big, sad eyes again. He could be as mean as possible, shout at the dog and call him names, but it seemed nothing would destroy the feelings that had come to life in him when the Grinch had gathered him up in his arms, carried him home and taken care of him.

As Max fell asleep, curled into the Grinch's side, the Grinch couldn't completely fight the smile that pulled at his lips. The long days, the dark nights, were no longer spent alone. Now he had someone to spend them with, someone that he could talk to and share his time with. He was no longer alone.

And while he would never, ever admit it out loud, he could barely even admit it to silently to himself, he'd found a dear friend that he would love for the rest of his years in his faithful dog, Max.


End file.
